As autumn settles in, New York’s galleries and museums are buzzing with fresh exhibitions worth stepping into. From solo spotlights that trace decades of an artist’s vision to thematic group shows and historic retrospectives, the city offers a wide mix of perspectives. Whether you’re drawn to contemporary experiments, photography, or revisiting modern classics, the latest shows on view right now make a strong case for slowing down and spending an afternoon with art.
“Karen Kilimnik” at Gladstone 64, New York
Dates: September 26 – November 7, 2025
This solo survey of Karen Kilimnik’s work brings together decades of her explorations across media — from painting and dioramas to video and installation.
- The show reflects Kilimnik’s signature merging of personal, cultural, and art-historical narratives.
- It underscores her “genre-transgressing impulse” and the ways she collapses distinctions between high art and personal fantasy.
- For viewers, it offers a kind of journey through her visual vocabulary: imagery, memory, and reinvention.
If you’re in the city, this is a strong contender for your “must-see” list.
Other Notable Shows in NYC Right Now
- Pace Gallery (NY):
- Robert Longo: The Weight of Hope — on view through October 25, 2025 pacegallery.com+1
- Paolo Roversi: Along the Way — also running until October 25 pacegallery.com+1
- The Met (Metropolitan Museum of Art):
- Spectrum of Desire: Love, Sex, and Gender in the Middle Ages opens October 17, 2025 (through March 29, 2026) The Metropolitan Museum of Art
- Ongoing: The Roof Garden Commission: Jennie C. Jones, Ensemble (through October 19) The Metropolitan Museum of Art
- Leslie-Lohman Museum of Art:
- David Wojnarowicz: Arthur Rimbaud in New York — through January 18, 2026 LeslieLohman
- Athi-Patra Ruga: Lord, I gotta keep on (movin’) — also through January 18, 2026 LeslieLohman
- Museum of the City of New York:
- Robert Rauschenberg’s New York: Pictures from the Real World — through October 5, 2025 Museum of the City of New York
- Above Ground: Art from the Martin Wong Graffiti Collection — through February 22, 2026 Museum of the City of New York
- The Stettheimer Dollhouse in a New Light — ongoing after conservation
